Whose walk is it?

'I need to walk the dog'

'The dog needs a good run to burn off energy'

'My dog needs to go for a walk to toilet'

'My dog needs to be socialised'

Are any of these statements familiar to you? If they don't apply to you, we know you will have heard people saying them, usually when they are marching at a fast pace, without letting their dog stop to sniff and explore.

Who is the walk for? There should be a mutual benefit, of course, we are free to go off and do other activities, but for our dogs, the walk may be the highlight of their day.

Instead of 'taking the dog for a walk', let's think about giving our dogs opportunities to explore and engage with a wider world.